The target of the webinar was to offer the ASNs an insight into the new organisation and outline next steps, including hybridisation of selected categories.

FIA Rally Director Yves Matton, Regional Rally Manager Jérôme Roussel, WRC Commission President Carlos Barbosa, as well as an exceptional panel of high-class guest speakers representing the manufacturers and ASNs, discussed how the revised structure will benefit national competitions by ensuring safety, allowing for greater accessibility, enhancing the level playing field and thus the driver development.

M-Sport Managing Director Malcolm Wilson and Managing Director of the company’s Polish division Maciej Woda, Alpine Racing Commercial Director Benoit Nogier, TACP Motorsport Commission Coordinator Juan Antonio Dibos Silva, British Rally Championship Manager Iain Campbell and Peru’s multiple rally champion Ramon Ferreyros all contributed to make this session a moment of rich dialogue, by reflecting on their experience and sharing insights from their respective field of work.

The new pyramid offers a simplified class structure applicable to various FIA-sanctioned rally competitions, from entry level to the very pinnacle of the discipline.

Matton opened the webinar, introducing the structure of the pyramid, highlighting the work currently done towards hybridisation, starting with Rally1 in 2022.

The work on the revised pyramid started in 2018 and with last year’s homologation of the world’s first Rally3 – the Ford Fiesta Rally3 – the pyramid has been completed, with cars now available for every layer.

The pyramid is comprised of five tiers, with the bottom two reserved for front-wheel-drive cars and the top three for four-wheel-drive machinery.

At the base of the pyramid, Group Rally5 represents the ideal entry level platform, featuring cars with only the bodyshell, seat and harness mountings having to be FIA-homologated.

Rally4 incorporates the highest-performance front-wheel-drive rally cars, with the power output in the ballpark of 210hp. Previously called R2 and first introduced back in 2008, this group offers variety of makes and models available on the market.

New-for-2021, Rally3 offers an accessible platform for drivers willing to step up into the world of four-wheel-drive machinery.

Rally2 (known as R5 in the previously used nomenclature) represents the pinnacle in terms of performance among cars built with customer racing approach in mind. This group serves as an excellent proving ground before graduation to the top echelon of rallying. Currently, there are 10 different models from seven manufactures eligible for this group.

Rally1 forms the very top of the pyramid, with the cars fighting for the overall glory in the FIA World Rally Championship. The current generation of the cars was introduced in 2017 and is set to make way for a whole new breed of hybrid-powered cars next year.

Case studies were also presented, with the FIA Junior WRC feeder system based on partnerships between M-Sport and ASNs, various Renault Clio Trophies for cars built to Rally5 regulations and the British Rally Championship Junior pyramid among the discussed subject. The webinar concluded with an interactive Q&A session.

ASNs are encouraged to watch the online webinar on FIA Networks if they have missed it, and download the FIA Rally Car Pyramid brochure, which serves as a one-stop-shop for understanding the new car groups, detailing each category through various visuals and images.